The Irken
Empire has begun its master invasion plan, Operation Impending
Doom 2. They have only one problem: Zim, an invader who is far too
megalomaniacal for their tastes. They dispatch him on a “secret
mission” to a planet that “no one knows about, and those who do
dare not speak its name.” However, instead of being banished to
the cold reaches of space, Zim discovers an unknown little planet
called Earth and begins his conquest.
CRITIQUE
Invader Zim
is in no way a kids show. While it was made for the children’s
network Nickelodeon, Zim’s humor and tone are not in the typical
children’s realm. Like Ren and Stimpy before it, Zim’s
humor lies in absurdity. However, Ren and Stimpy’s humor
was based around bodily functions and other toilet humor, while
Zim, on the other hand, uses some of the more ridiculous
sci-fi and horror conventions.
The cast of the
show is unique, but shares in Jhonen Vasquez’s (Johnny the
Homicidal Maniac, Squee) twisted view of the world. Zim has
an ego larger than the planet he is trying to conquer, and he can
never see anything other than how great he is. Dib, the only human who
knows Zim is an alien, is the lone conspiracy nut who no one believes,
and whose love of pseudo-science shames his famous scientist father.
Gaz, Dib’s sister, doesn’t care if Zim is an alien or not, she just
wants to play her Game Slave 2 in peace, something of a luxury with
her brother around. The Almighty Tallest, the leaders of the Irken
Empire, have an easy gig. They just sit back, relax, and pray that Zim
quickly meets with an “unfortunate accident.” Mrs. Bitters, Zim’s
teacher, is a woman obsessed with the entropy and ultimate doom of the
universe. And then there’s Gir, the robot with a brain filled with
paperclips and other assorted junk; a robot with ADD, one with the
mind of a child on a permanent sugar high. Gir is obscenely cute and
overly annoying at the same time. You can’t help but love him.
The first nine
episodes vary in tone. There are episodes that are wildly absurdist,
such as "Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain," in which Gir becomes the
new "brain" for Zim’s base. Other episodes, such as "The Wettening,"
introduce other factors in Zim’s life on Earth, such as Zim being
allergic to water. Then there are even genuinely creepy episodes, like
"Dark Harvest."
While each episode
does stand on its own, it is best to start at the beginning. Each
episode does build off the other, but there is no continuity to worry
about. The show is crazy, but should appeal to those who love shows
like Family Guy and Sealab 2021.
THE VIDEO
The transfer of
the show is crisp and beautiful. The colors are far richer than
ever before and the 3D animation looks almost brand new. However,
the video on the animatics isn’t as good. I found many instances
of digital artifacting, which really began to aggravate.
THE AUDIO
The sound mix
is standard. The mix is presented in 2.0 Dolby digital. It
sounds nice; the dialogue is never buried under the sound
effects or music.
THE EXTRAS
Commentary by
the Cast and Creators on select episodes: They’re not that good. The cast and crew laugh at
the show and have a good time more often than talk about what
they had done.
“Pig” Commentary on
“Bad, Bad Rubber Pig”: This is annoying. Don’t bother.
Original Pilot:
The original 15-minute pilot episode featuring Billy West as the voice
of Zim. While not great, it’s a good example of how a cartoon is
pitched to a network. The episode also has a commentary track,
which gives some good information about how it was produced.
Animatics on select
episodes:
The original storyboards for 13 segments of the show as well as the
first episode.
Irken Subtitles:
These seem to show up automatically. Make sure to turn them off before
viewing because they are annoying.
Cast Interviews:
Not a bad little interview segment. The cast talks about how it was to
be on Zim as well as working with each other. The interviews
deliver some good information.
FINAL THOUGHT
The show is loads
of fun for those who enjoy shows such as Sealab 2021 or
Family Guy.
